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Mission Statement

As leaders, our mission is to develop a sustainable culture throughout State Government. We will model this culture in the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) and assist state agencies in implementing best practices that improve efficiency, reduce environmental impacts, and contribute to fiscally-sound government. Action-based approaches will focus on travel, building and purchasing.

Sustainability Initiatives

We offer guidance and support to increase energy efficiency and green purchasing throughout all state facilities. Through behavioral modification as well as capital improvements, our office is currently working with Tennessee State Parks to reduce costs associated with water and energy consumption. Current projects include light-emitting diode (LED) lighting upgrades, hybrid and tankless water heater installations, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) upgrades, roof replacements, appliance upgrades, as well as securing building envelopes. These reductions will allow for future sustainable projects through utility savings as well as continued reductions in greenhouse gases.

The State Employee Recycling Program (SERP) provides recycling services and information to State owned or leased buildings and facilities. SERP provides an area called the Green Cube for state employees to recycle items that are difficult to recycle in a typical convenience center. SERP also provides information for each of Tennessee's counties that contains information about recycling convenience center operations as well as other useful recycling information. View county-specific recycling information.

We have also assisted in the pilot and implementation of a computer power management (CPM) program in our Central Office building in Nashville to increase energy efficiency. The CPM includes specific monitor and machine sleep mode settings, and is responsible for both a decrease in energy usage and a corresponding decrease in energy cost. Based on the successful pilot in the Central Office, CPMs will now be implemented statewide.

We support community gardens through a variety of garden programming, including workshops and conferences, resource-sharing, and networking assistance. Community gardens are as way to improve the Health and Welfare of Tennesseans and to demonstrate sustainability in action. Co-benefits of community gardens include environmental protection, citizen engagement and community pride, reversal of urban blight, improved nutrition, and heritage conservation. Gardens can also add interpretive appeal to state park and museum settings.

We organize and assist with employee and public collection events, such as Operation Stand Down's toiletries and clothing drive for Veterans, America Recycles Day, and the Great American Clean-Up.

We provide the State with online resources and paperless tools to assist in the collection of survey data, share organization information via newsletter, and organize events and collect RSVPs.